Uncle
by Faiakishi
Summary: Bonus oneshot from 'A Means Of Force.' Akefia's point of view during the events of Bakura's kidnapping. Maybe later I'll think of a decent title and description.


**I own three cans of hairspray, because show choir requires an insane amount of hairspray. I don't own Yugioh.**

* * *

What made him so attractive? Was it his white hair? His oversized, chocolate-brown eyes? His slender waist and hips? Or was it just that Bakura looked so bloody _effeminate_?

Akefia took another long drag of his pipe, expelling the smoke into the cold interior of his car.

But that was ridiculous. Bakura wasn't nearly as effeminate as his twin brother, and Akefia certainly had never felt even remotely attracted to his other nephew. Maybe it wasn't so much Bakura's body that attracted Akefia to him, though Bakura's small body was what filled Akefia's fantasies and daydreams. No, it had to be his mind. His above-average intelligence, which his parents were so proud of. His maturity, unmatched by his classmates. His quietness. Yes, that had to be it. Bakura was quiet.

Across the parking lot, Bakura was patting down the body of a snowman, his favorite blue wool mittens wet with melted snow. His bright orange winter coat (which Akefia had told his sister not to buy for him, telling her it was absolutely hideous.) stuck out among the snow and sea of pastel-colored children's coats. His long hair was down, but his hat wasn't on his head. A few feet away, Bakura's younger siblings, Ryou and Amane, were hard at work rolling what was probably meant to be the head. Akefia spotted Bakura's blue hat on Ryou's head. Typical. Ryou was constantly losing his winter gear. His father had probably bought him three pairs of snow pants the winter before.

Akefia took another hit, continuing to watch Bakura. Yes, Bakura was very quiet. Too quiet, many of his teachers said. He was very smart, but never spoke in class, which led to his teachers immediately labeling him as a 'trouble child.' He was quiet at home too. He'd sit and read a book for hours with no attempt at making conversation with any of his family. Akefia knew this because he'd seen Bakura do it, or more often, watched him from across the room, completely unable to take his eyes off his nephew.

His parents were frustrated with him, but there was only so much they could do. Bakura kept up his grades and did his chores, so they didn't really have much to complain about. Plus they had their hands full with Ryou and Amane, who were both active, healthy, loud, and affectionate kids.

Bakura was just the complete opposite.

And it had to be the reason Akefia was attracted to him. He just…wasn't usually attracted to people like Bakura. He liked women, for starters. Blonde women, with big breasts. Bakura was not his type.

Plus there was the fact that Bakura was seven years old.

The worst part was that Akefia became attracted to Bakura while he was even younger than that. Bakura had been about five years old the first time Akefia's feelings for him began to show. Akefia could remember it; it was Christmas, right after dinner. Bakura had been exhausted, and had fallen asleep on the couch, head in Akefia's lap. His parents had only chuckled, and quickly scurried away to get Ryou and Amane settled down and ready for bed. Akefia has sat in his sister's living room for several minutes, just listening to his nephew's shallow breaths and running his fingers through Bakura's long hair. Eventually his hand began to travel downwards, and soon Akefia found himself nearly groping Bakura's tiny butt, and sporting a very noticeable hard-on. He quickly left the room, hiding in the bathroom until his erection had gone down before bidding his sister and brother-in-law a farewell.

And it only got worse from there. Akefia would masturbate to pictures of Bakura his sister had given him, he would dream about Bakura's tiny body beneath him, crying out as Akefia fucked him. Akefia considered seeking help, but ultimately decided against it. It was embarrassing to admit to a stranger, never mind what his sister and brother-in-law would think when it inevitably reached their ears. Plus it was kind of illegal.

It got to the point where Akefia didn't even trust himself to be alone with Bakura, even with his brother and sister present. This was around the time he met Mariku, so he began asking Mariku to come with him whenever he was asked to babysit his niece and nephews.

It worked for a bit. Mariku was charismatic, and Akefia's sister and her husband liked him right away. They were comfortable leaving their children with the two. Akefia would busy himself with his schoolwork, (before he flunked out of college) and Mariku would play with the kids.

That arrangement seemed to work out for a while. While Akefia's urges never went away, or even diminish, he felt somewhat comfortable with his strange little fetish. He knew he could exert a bit of self-control and stop himself before he hurt his nephew.

A few drinks with Mariku was all it took to change everything. It had been raining that day, though Akefia wasn't really sure why that was significant. Akefia had gone over to Mariku's house to buy some weed, and they had ended up drinking copious amounts of beer together as they lounged about on Mariku's beat-up sofa.

Their conversation had lingered on the babysitting jobs for a bit, when Mariku suddenly blurted out, "Your nephew has such a fuckable ass. I end up staring at it every time I go over there."

And that was all it took. Akefia spilled all the details of his strange, completely illegal obsession with Bakura. And he had felt great about it. Somebody else felt the same way about Bakura! That had to justify his feelings…

Didn't it?

* * *

Bakura helped his sister push the head of the snowman onto the body. The siblings immediately began sticking twigs into the areas the eyes, nose, and mouth would have been. Akefia watched with an unnatural interest.

There wasn't anything sexual about building a snowman. But it was Bakura, and Akefia was turned on by anything having to do with his nephew. Bakura bent down to retrieve a stick that had fallen to the ground, giving the parking lot a perfect view of his small bottom. Akefia's hand immediately went to his crotch.

It seemed like that day was the turning point for Akefia. After Mariku had made his own little confession, his own lust for Bakura had become far more…controlling.

The three Touzoku children stepped back to observe their work, looking quite pleased with themselves. Ryou and Amane chattered excitedly, while Bakura looked on with a small smile on his face. His younger siblings turned to him, continuing with their chatter, and Bakura frowned. He said a few words and turned away, leaning over to pick his Jack Skellington backpack and slipping his arms through the straps. His brother and sister looked slightly disappointed, but began rolling another snowball, presumably for a second snowman. Bakura waved to one of his teachers and stepped into the parking lot, bending down to adjust the strap on one of his boots before tramping towards the street.

Akefia stared dumbly for a minute before frantically stabbing his joint out.

Bakura was walking home. Without his brother or sister.

Alone.

He grabbed his cell phone and his bag, opening his car door and slipping out, careful not to let any kids or playground monitors see him exit the car. He could not leave any evidence that would point towards him. He simply couldn't.

He ran down the rows of cars, making sure he was not visible by any means to the playground or the school. He scouted out the cars for a good candidate, finally settling on a rust-colored red van with heavily tinted windows. He lifted up the hood, taking some supplies out of his bag and performed his quickest hotwiring job ever.

It took him a minute to get used to how the van drove, but got the hang of it pretty quickly. He'd only need it for an hour or so anyway. He quickly maneuvered the van through the parking lot and onto the street, following the same path he had observed his nephew walk to get home nearly every day.

Akefia couldn't remember when his obsession with Bakura grew so much…darker. Before, it had been just that-an obsession. He could hope to keep it contained, to keep his nephew out of harm's reach.

But then he and Mariku had begun discussing it further. And it somehow didn't seem like a fantasy with Mariku, but a possibility.

And then they started discussing the idea of just…taking Bakura. Taking him away and doing what they'd like with him. And their discussions got more and more detailed, until they were tracking Bakura's walk home, planning exactly how they would restrain the boy, where they would keep him.

Then they waited for an opportunity. Akefia was glad that their opportunity had come, though. Mariku wanted Bakura with them by Christmas, and if their opportunity hadn't come by the time his school got out for Christmas Break, they were going to have to resort to Plan B. Akefia did not like Plan B. Plan B involved one or both of them breaking into his sister's home and kidnapping Bakura from his bed, somehow without leaving any evidence of their presence or waking up Bakura's parents or siblings. Akefia knew that it would be near impossible to avoid waking up Ryou, as the twins shared a room. And once one of them was pinpointed in Bakura's disappearance, it was all over.

Plan B was not an option.

Akefia weaved through the streets, sliding his phone out of his pocket. He slowed the van down so he could punch in Mariku's number, then held the phone to his ear.

It took five rings for Mariku to pick up. "'Ello?" He said with a yawn. Akefia shoved his phone in between his ear and his shoulder, putting his left blinker on.

"It's me, you bastard," Akefia hissed. He opened his mouth to continue explaining, but Mariku cut him off.

"Akefia? What the fuck did you wake me up for? I was up all fucking night, I-"

"He's alone," Akefia said.

Mariku was silent for a moment. "A-are you sure? Where is he?"

"Walking home," Akefia braked to avoid hitting a tan cat running through the street, cursing under his breath. "Ryou and Amane stayed to play in the snow or something, I don't know. But Bakura is walking home alone."

"Shit."

Akefia waited, but Mariku didn't say anything else. He was almost to the street he knew Bakura would be on. "Get in your damn car and go wait in the place we agreed on. I'll have him there soon."

A pause, then Mariku hung up the phone. Akefia rolled his eyes. Obviously, Mariku couldn't be bothered with goodbyes.

Akefia slowed the van. Bakura took the same exact route home every single day, so he _should _have been on this street. But Akefia couldn't see him. His heart began racing. What if Bakura had decided to be adventurous and take a different way home? What if he had decided he actually wanted to stay and build that second snowman with his brother and sister? What if-

Bakura turned around the corner behind him. Akefia braked immediately, pulling the car to the side of the road and parallel parking behind a green car with a broken taillight.

Bakura's orange coat made him extremely visible, and Akefia wasn't sure to be grateful because he for sure wouldn't lose sight of the kid now, or worried because possible witnesses would _definitely _notice Bakura. Especially if Bakura put up any sort of struggle.

A long stick pointed out of Bakura's hand, and he stopped a couple times to draw pictures in the snow. Akefia drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, his heart pumping wildly. He was starting to regret smoking that joint, because he was beginning to have difficulty thinking clearly. And he had to be thinking clearly for this. What the hell had Mariku put in that thing when he rolled it, anyway?

Bakura was ahead of him now. He had ditched the stick and was now marching along, unusually focused for a second-grader like himself. Akefia did a quick glance around the neighborhood to check that there was nobody outside. He threw the van in drive and eased his way out of the parking spot.

Bakura didn't turn his head as Akefia drove up. He continued to walk, head down, until Akefia was right next to him. He looked over at the van, stopping once he realized that the van had stopped. Akefia put the van in park, rolling down the window.

"Uncle Akefia?" Bakura's high, innocent voice rung in Akefia's ears. His hands made fists under the steering wheel. "What are you doing?"

He was so…naïve. Painfully naïve. Why did he have to be so fucking innocent? Why couldn't he be ten years older, understand life a bit better? Why the fuck was he so childishly gorgeous?

Bakura continued to stare with his oversized brown orbs. Akefia huffed, tearing his eyes away from his beautiful nephew. "Get in. I'm driving you home."

He unlocked the doors to make his point, but Bakura didn't take the bait. Akefia never really expected him to, though. Bakura was a very smart seven-year-old, with highly acute instincts. He could tell something was off, and knew that he should stay away from his uncle. Akefia was a little proud that his nephew was so, so smart.

And absolutely hated him for it as well.

"Well? Don't just stand there. Get in the van."

Bakura backed away. "This isn't your car…" He said meekly. Akefia huffed.

"Just bought it. Here, I'll tell you what." Akefia tried to paste a smile on his face. "We're gonna go get some McDonalds, just the two of us. I'll even let you sit in the front seat."

"My parents don't like me eating McDonalds." Bakura said, twisting the toe of his boot into the snow. "They say it'll give me heart problems and stuff like that."

"Well your parents aren't here. We can keep this a secret, just you and me. Come on, just get in the damn car."

Bakura still made no move to get in. Akefia fluidly reached down and grabbed his bag, extracting a rag and a small bottle filled with a clear liquid, careful not to reveal any of it to his nephew. He quickly unscrewed the cap, dumping the contents of the bottle onto the rag.

Bakura turned away from his uncle, looking down the long road. "I think I'm just going to go home. My mom will be mad…"

"Dammit, you little tease!" Akefia's fist suddenly slammed down on the dashboard, making Bakura jump. "You fucking whore!"

"I-I don't know what those are…" Bakura stammered, backing away. "I'm gonna go home now…"

Akefia fumbled for the door handle. "No you're fucking not!" The door clicked open. Bakura's eyes went wide with panic. Akefia swung his legs out, jumping down onto the ground. "You're coming with me! I've waited too long and worked too hard for this just to have you go and fuck everything up!"

Bakura turned, beginning to sprint down the street. But Akefia was faster. Within seconds, he had caught up to his nephew and had seized him by the back of his hideous coat. Bakura twisted, trying desperately to get Akefia's hand off him.

"_Help!_" Bakura screamed, his shrill voice standing out in the silent winter air. "Somebody help me, my-"

Akefia shoved the rag up against his nose and mouth, and Bakura's words died there. He wrapped his arm around Bakura's arms and waist and waited as Bakura struggled for a split second.

Bakura's body soon went limp, and Akefia quickly pulled the chloroform-soaked rag away from Bakura's face. Bakura was completely unconscious now, and Akefia hooked one arm around his midsection to keep him from falling to the ground.

And it was that fast. That easy.

* * *

Akefia quickly turned around, a smile on his face. Things could have definitely gone smoother, but he had Bakura now. Bakura could not fight back. Bakura was his.

"Hey! _HEY! _What the hell are you doing with that kid?!"

Akefia swore. He ripped open the door to the driver's side of the van, shoving Bakura's unresponsive body into the back where it landed with a _THUD. _He winced. He hadn't wanted to injure his nephew, but he had to get them out of there.

He quickly climbed into the driver's seat, careful to keep his face hidden from whoever was yelling at him. He could not be discovered. He could not. His entire plan would be destroyed.

"I have your plates, mister! I'm calling the cops now, you won't get away with this!"

The door slammed. Akefia threw the car in drive, tires spinning on loose snow as he slammed on the gas.

He saw the busybody running towards him, a bald man probably in his forties or fifties, a cell phone pressed up against his face. He accelerated, not bothering to even slow down for the stop sign at the end of the street.

His hands shook. He had been that close to failing in his mission. And it had been a hit-or-miss job. He knew that from the start. If anything went wrong, if he had to leave Bakura there…

It would be all over.

Blood pounded in Akefia's ears, but he calmed a considerable amount as he drove on. He had Bakura now. So what if the nosy old man gave out his plates? The van wasn't registered under his name, and he wouldn't be driving it much longer.

And that man hadn't seen his face. Akefia was sure of that. He had his hood up and gloves on, so he might not even be able to pinpoint an ethnicity.

Still, it was messier than he'd wanted. He doubted that he would be targeted during the investigation, having only been arrested on minor theft charges back during his high school years and having Mariku as an alibi. And he'd hoped that he'd be able to make Bakura just 'disappear.' Give himself a few hours to get Bakura situated in his prison cell and the evidence destroyed before his sister realized that her oldest had not come home that night. Authorities would probably even assume Bakura had gotten lost and had frozen to death somewhere or was killed by a wild animal.

But now, everyone would know it was a kidnapping. The police would be looking for a person.

Akefia soon left the suburb and was driving through the woods, going slow to avoid spinning out on the icy roads. All the trees looked the same covered in snow, but he knew the way. He'd spent hours anguishing over every detail of this plan.

Soon, he approached the meadow. Mariku was already waiting there, his gray car parked on the side of the road. His arms were crossed, and he looked impatient. Akefia slid the van into park and got out. Mariku was over by him in an instant.

"You really did it? You have him?" Mariku said quickly, like a small puppy yelping for it's owner. Akefia said nothing, instead turning around and sliding the van door open, picking Bakura up and presenting their trophy. Mariku's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Oh, god…you really do have him…"

"Did you doubt me?" Akefia said, handing Bakura over. Mariku accepted the child into his arms, grinning gleefully. Akefia turned back around. "I do remember telling you my nickname was 'The Thief King' in high school. How did you think I earned that title?"

Mariku shrugged. "I didn't think you had experience with kidnapping before. It's a completely different area of criminal activity."

"Psh." Akefia climbed back into the car, driving it forward onto the snow-covered grass. When he got back out, Mariku had already tossed Bakura's beloved backpack into the snow, had him sitting in the backseat with his back to the door, and was hard at work tying his hands together behind his back.

Akefia strode back towards the car, frowning when he saw Mariku attempt to wrap a piece of fabric around the boy's mouth. "Um, is that really necessary? He could suffocate," Akefia pointed out.

Mariku just scoffed. "He might wake up on the way home. And we're both in deep shit if he starts screaming."

They left off the gag.

Mariku grabbed a bottle and a box of matches from his car, moving purposely towards their 'borrowed' getaway vehicle. Akefia took over taking care of Bakura, positioning him on the floor of the car so he wouldn't get too cramped.

"You left everything in the van, everything that could incriminate us?" Mariku said warily, peering back at his partner. Akefia nodded, closing the door to the backseat.

Akefia busied himself with spreading a blanket over his nephew, both so he wouldn't get cold and so no one would be able to see him. Outside, Mariku poured the entire bottle of vegetable oil over the seats and floor of the van. He picked up a match, then frowned, turning around and narrowing his eyes at Bakura's Nightmare Before Christmas backpack.

In an instant, Akefia had darted out of the car, snatching up the backpack.

"Let him keep it," He said to Mariku, who looked angry. "It'll bring him comfort."

"It'll bring the cops to my front door, that's what it'll do." Mariku was gruff.

Akefia carefully placed the backpack on the floor next to Bakura's covered figure. "Oh, and keeping a seven-year-old in a cage won't?"

Mariku grunted something about 'not a cage', but returned his attention to the van. Akefia was slightly relieved. They had no plans to put Bakura in an actual cage; at least, Akefia didn't, but what they did have in mind wasn't too much better.

Akefia shut the door tightly, belting himself into the backseat. He reached down and brushed his fingers against Bakura's exposed hand, squeezing it slightly and fighting the odd urge to apologize all of a sudden.

Mariku sprinted back to the car, swinging himself into the front seat. Akefia looked up, seeing the fire that was burning inside the van through Mariku's dirty windows. Mariku hit the gas, carrying all three of them away.

"Dammit, that thing's gonna blow…" Mariku hissed under his breath, watching the burning van as his wheels spun.

Eventually, Mariku got the car going and they pulled out, heading home.

Akefia was silent during the entire car ride, keeping an eye out for police cars. Mariku tuned the radio to the local news broadcast, listening carefully as the station broadcasted Bakura's AMBER alert.

It occurred to Akefia that his sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew all knew that Bakura was gone by now. That they were probably incredibly frightened, worried about Bakura, and angry at whoever took him away from them. He knew this, but it hardly seemed like it was happening to people he knew.

Mariku commented happily that the witness was only able to identify the color of Akefia's sweatshirt. Akefia quickly shrugged off the hoodie, wishing he had burned it along with the rest of the evidence.

They soon pulled into Mariku's driveway, and Mariku killed the engine. He got out, scanning the deserted neighborhood quickly before motioning that it was safe. Akefia nodded, heart beating wildly as he reached down and pulled the blanket covering Bakura from his body. Akefia's stomach clenched as he uncovered his nephew's face, and he fought the urge to throw up.

He had kidnapped Bakura. He kidnapped his nephew.

Mariku tapped on the window impatiently, and Akefia quickly gathered Bakura up in his arms, scrambling out the door Mariku held open for him.

Akefia's stomach felt no better once they were in Mariku's backyard and the shed came into view. The shed. Bakura's cage.

Where they were going to keep Bakura was a sore spot between Mariku and Akefia. Akefia wanted Bakura close to him, and would have been happy to keep Bakura in his own house, in his bed, even. Mariku was against the idea. Even if Akefia kept Bakura locked away in a separate room, even if he was well-restrained, someone would still find him. His sister's family would visit him from time to time, and they'd definitely find evidence of Bakura living there.

Mariku did not have the same problem. His family had mostly died off or was no longer in contact with him, so his only visitors were Akefia himself and various addicts who came to Mariku's looking for drugs and wouldn't really care that he had a kidnapped kid tied up somewhere. But Akefia got defensive when Mariku suggested they imprison Bakura in his spare room. It was _his_ nephew, after all.

The shed was their compromise. Mariku would give Akefia a key and wouldn't interfere with him visiting Bakura. And it was off Akefia's property, away from the prying eyes of his family.

Akefia and Mariku had spent weeks getting the shed ready for Bakura. They destroyed most of the walls, putting in insulation and soundproofing the entire shed before putting up sheet rock. They built a small room in the corner for Bakura to use as a bathroom, putting in the necessary plumbing and installing the normal bathroom features. The wooden floor would work perfectly well, it just needed a few coats of polyurethane. Mariku got the idea that they should tile the bathroom floor. They painted both rooms different shades of light blue, Bakura's favorite color. Mariku installed some cabinets and counters that he had bought off some website. Akefia bought Bakura a bed and a chest of drawers. They'd need more, eventually, but it was ready for him.

Now, Akefia's stomach twisted in knots as they approached the shed. He was going to imprison his nephew there. Wasn't going to let him out for who knows how long.

Zorc, Mariku's new attack dog, ('Guard dog,' Mariku had proudly called him when Akefia found out about him.) hissed and barked as the two men made their way across the yard, yanking on his chain. Akefia was truly furious when he discovered that Mariku had bought the dog, claiming that an aggressive dog like Zorc was going to hurt Bakura. Mariku just said that Zorc was there to deter Bakura from trying to escape, so he was only serving his purpose.

Bakura stirred in Akefia's arms, and he almost dropped him out of shock. He stood in place for a minute, thinking Bakura was waking up.

He waited and watched, but Bakura didn't stir again. Akefia took a deep breath and forced himself to walk forward, into the shed.

Mariku was already getting Bakura's restraints into place. They had both agreed that Bakura could not be allowed to roam free, at least not immediately. Although Akefia was hesitant about keeping his nephew tied up for long periods of time, he knew it was necessary.

"Well? Put him down," Mariku patted the blankets on the bed, thickly layered to keep Bakura from getting chilled inside the shed. Akefia obliged, sitting the unconscious boy on the side of the bed and holding him up. Mariku reached over with a knife, cutting Bakura's bonds before standing up to retrieve what they needed from the top of the dresser. "Collar first. We need to mark our property."

Akefia nodded, pulling the boy's hair back. Mariku approached with the gleaming silver collar, and Akefia sputtered. "Wait. What if…what if it doesn't fit? And he can't breathe?"

"It'll fit," Mariku said quietly. "I measured his neck for it. It'll fit perfectly."

"How did you-"

"We were playing a game."

Mariku didn't expand on the subject, and Akefia shut his mouth.

The collar was slipped around Bakura's neck, Akefia himself locked it with a little silver key.

Mariku smiled as Akefia handed the key back to him, sliding it into his pocket. "Now we have to get rid of his clothes."

Akefia laid Bakura down on his back, heart pounding in anticipation. He had seen Bakura naked before, and knew what he looked like under his clothes. But before, while Bakura's naked figure aroused him, it only served to taunt him, something he could see and lust after but could not have.

But now, every body part under that clothing, every inch of skin was his. His to touch, to kiss, to enjoy.

Bakura's hideous orange coat was the first to come off, his still-wet mittens coming off along with it. Mariku set to work on removing Bakura's snow boots and thick winter socks, while Akefia tried easing his purple sweatshirt over his head. When both those tasks were finished, their hands went straight to Bakura's zipper, both poised to finish their job and fully unclothe the boy, and both hesitating to do so.

After a minute of waiting, Mariku spoke out in a gruff voice. "Well, if you're too big of a pussy to do it…"

Mariku pulled down the zipper and unbuttoned the jeans, sliding Bakura's pants and underwear from his hips.

And Bakura was naked. Bare as the day he was born. Which Akefia could confirm; he was there when his nephews were born.

The blindfold was next. Akefia was slightly against the blindfold, feeling it unnecessary and unneedingly stressful on Bakura. Truthfully, he mourned the loss of Bakura's uniquely colored eyes. Mariku had his own set of reasons as to why Bakura should be blindfolded, and Akefia succumbed to his wishes rather than fight with him over another issue.

As soon as the blindfold was secured tightly around Bakura's eyes, Mariku was up and searching around for another key. Akefia took a deep breath, and slid his hands under his nephew's body to move him up the bed. It was finally time to chain the boy up.

Akefia tenderly wrapped his fingers around his nephew's delicate wrists, raising them up over his head and gently placing them in two separate heavy iron manacles, connected to each other with a thick chain and another chain looping around the underside of the bed.

Mariku quickly returned, snapping the cuffs closed and jamming the key into the locks. "I got a pair of handcuffs for when he can't be in these…" He grunted. "I don't want him without some sort of restraint. Ever."

"Well, we can't keep him chained up for the rest of his life," Akefia said, earning a glare from Mariku. "I mean, we have to allow him bits of freedom. He'd probably die if he couldn't get up and move around."

"Hmph." Mariku did not sound happy, but knew he had been defeated.

The two leaned back to observe their work. Akefia felt a hard pang in his chest, but ignored it. For the most part, he just felt numb.

"We did it, Akefia," Mariku said gleefully. "The little shit is ours now." He stood up, still grinning. "Care to have a beer to celebrate?"

Akefia nodded, alcohol being the furthest thing on his mind. "Sure."

One beer soon turned into many, until Akefia could barely think straight. He knew he was drunk, but the normal side effects of being drunk just didn't seem to occur. Everything seemed louder, more immediate. All of his feelings about Bakura stayed. He kept drinking, hoping it would go away. It didn't.

Both of them got completely wasted, the beer cans accumulating in the corner of the small shed. The entire place was rank with the sour tang of beer, but neither of them cared that much. They'd remove the empty cans after Bakura woke up. And they kept drinking.

Eventually, they had to slow down. Bakura was going to wake up soon, and they had to be somewhat there for that. Akefia sat on the end of Bakura's bed while Mariku leaned against the wall, chatting quietly as they watched their young captive.

It seemed like hours before Bakura began to stir. It was small at first, little movements or shifts, a few small noises coming from the back of his throat. Akefia watched nervously, Mariku was grinning.

The moment Bakura was awake to the world was obvious. His body jerked once before becoming still, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He was silent and still for a long moment, before he began to jerk on the chains around his wrists. Small whimpering noises came from the back of his throat, and Akefia fought the urge to wrap his arms around his nephew and tell him everything was going to be alright. But Mariku just…grinned. Grinned as he watched Bakura struggle against his chains, little panicked noises escaping from his lips. Bakura pulled on the chains, but received nothing for his perseverance.

"You're gonna have a bad time getting those off like that."

Bakura froze as Mariku's voice rang out inside the shed. Mariku chuckled a bit, crossing his arms over his chest. Akefia bit his lip.

Bakura was silent for a long moment before opening his mouth. "Who…who are you?"

Then Mariku laughed, really laughed, loud and unrestrained. The hair on the back of Akefia's neck prickled.

"M-Mariku?" Bakura's voice wavered nervously. "Why…what are you…"

"Your uncle's here too, kitten. He's the one who got you here, if you're too stupid to remember."

"N-no, I re-re-remember…" Bakura sniffed. He still had yet to completely lose it, which impressed Akefia. He shook, but he did not cry. "Where are we? Why…why did you take me here?" He took a deep breath. "When can I go home?"

"You can't." Mariku was smiling as he strode over to Bakura, putting a hand on his face. Bakura instantly recoiled. "You belong to me now."

"N-no…I belong to my parents…"

"No, you don't. You're never going to see them again. You're going to be with me forever."

There, Bakura started to cry. Loud crying, crying that spurred Akefia to reach up in an attempt to comfort the boy.

Mariku smacked Akefia's hand away, delivering one slap across Bakura's perfect face. Bakura cried out in surprise.

"No more crying over spilled milk. Shut up right now. You have to obey me now, or else. I'm not afraid to hurt you, Bakura, or your brother and sister."

Akefia's stomach clenched and Bakura just began to cry harder. Mariku moved to attack Bakura again, but Akefia sprung into action.

His hands went to Bakura's face, slapping as hard as he could. It stopped Bakura's crying, but it didn't satisfy Akefia. "Shut up! Show some fucking respect, you little shit!" Was he aware of his situation? Was he aware that Mariku could and would hurt him?

Bakura shook, sniffing a bit. Mariku was rummaging around on the floor, coming up with two lengths of rope and grabbing the wooden broom they had used to get the place cleaned up before. He gave Akefia a meaningful look before laying the broom down by Bakura's feet. Akefia raised his eyebrow. "Now? Shouldn't we at least give him-"

"No," Mariku growled. "The little bastard needs to be put in his place."

He grabbed one of Bakura's skinny ankles, but Bakura cried out in panic and snatched it away. Mariku roared and brought his fist down on Bakura's thigh.

The wail that escaped Bakura's throat was inhuman. Akefia's eyes widened, a million different pictures of femur breaks flashing through his mind. He knew that the femur was the hardest and most painful bone in your body to break, and he panicked. What would happen if Mariku really did break the bone? He could set it, but Bakura's pain would be unimaginable. And Mariku wouldn't care. Mariku didn't care.

Mariku began tying Bakura's ankles to the broom, and Akefia shifted to cradle Bakura's head in his lap. His chains made this nearly impossible to do, though, so Akefia's hands just hovered awkwardly above Bakura's face.

"N-no, please!" And Bakura still fought. He kicked his remaining leg wildly, but Mariku just wrestled it down and attached it to the other end of the broom. Bakura cried harder. "Uncle Akefia, please! Help me!"

"Shut that kid up," Mariku growled, lifting the bar up and unzipping his pants. "Put him in his place. Do what you've wanted with him."

Akefia stared dumbly for a moment before he managed to nod, getting onto his knees. He quickly unzipped his pants, taking his cock out and pushing it towards Bakura's face. "Suck on this."

Bakure vehemently shook his head. "P-please stop, I don't want this…"

"Dammit, just do what I say!" With that, Akefia shoved himself inside Bakura's mouth, causing Bakura to choke.

"You better not fucking bite, Bakura," Mariku said fingering Bakura tiny, underdeveloped penis.  
"Bite him and I'll cut yours off. You're going to fucking listen to us now."

Bakura hesitated, still crying softly, but it was only a moment before he began to suck. Akefia allowed his eyes to slip closed, relishing the euphoria washing through him, only to be rudely jerked from his ecstasy by Bakura's loud scream.

Upon opening his eyes, he could see the reason behind Bakura's outburst. Mariku had buried himself to the hilt in Bakura's virgin hole, without any sort of lubrication or preparation. Bakura continued with his muffled screaming, and Akefia shoved his erection down Bakura's throat, praying that that would stop his noise.

His mind was filled with worry as Bakura's screams of protest died down, but soon enough the sensation of Bakura's wet mouth around his dick took over his mind. Bakura wasn't really sucking so much as crying silently and trying not to choke, but that hardly mattered. Akefia could hear a strong buzzing in his ear, and his vision exploded like a million blue fireworks.

And eventually, he came. Bakura gasped as the salty liquid filled his mouth, and Akefia quickly pulled away. He began to get to his feet, turning towards the bathroom in search of a tissue Bakura could spit in, but Mariku stopped him, his hips still thrusting away in between Bakura's skinny white legs. "No. Make the little brat swallow."

Akefia solemnly nodded, reaching over and forcing Bakura's jaw shut. Bakura swallowed obediently, gasping for air when Akefia let go of his jaw.

Mariku finally came himself, and he drew away from Bakura's used body, zipping his pants up with a happy expression on his face. "Now that," He remarked to Akefia as he got to his feet. "was a good fuck."

Akefia all but forced himself to smile back, and Mariku turned towards the door. Akefia made to follow, but looked back at Bakura's silent form lying on the bed.

Akefia quickly made his way to the bathroom, grabbing a roll of toilet paper from the sink. He ripped off a chunk as he approached the bed, and Mariku raised one eyebrow.

"Seriously? Just leave the little bitch, he'll learn his place fast enough."

Akefia shook his head, avoiding eye contact. "It won't hurt anybody."

Mariku scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest and staring impatiently.

Akefia quickly wiped his own semen from Bakura's mouth and chin. He wished that he had a bottle of water to give him, or could bend over and kiss him. But something told him that Mariku would not tolerate it. He moved down to Bakura's nether regions, cleaning up a bit there. It wasn't much; Bakura would need to be bathed properly soon. But he'd have to deal with that later.

"Well? What the fuck are you waiting for?" Mariku stuck his key into the lock of the door. "Let's get out of here."

Akefia paused, looking down on his nephew. Bakura said nothing, just lied there, shaking and shivering. Akefia quickly pulled the blankets over Bakura's body, hoping he'd be warm. There was the strong urge to bend over to kiss his nephew good night, to crawl into bed with him and hold him until sunrise. But he fought it. And he got up, following Mariku out of the shed and flicking off the light behind him, leaving Bakura in the dark.

* * *

He had dreaded this. Dreaded it since the moment he thought up this crazy plan.

Akefia had managed to block out most thoughts of his sister and her family when he was with Bakura, but he had to return to the real world eventually.

'Eventually' came the morning after. The police knocked on his door at nine AM, far too early for a hungover Akefia. They asked him where he was the previous night, and he told them the truth: drinking with his neighbor. They informed him of Bakura's disappearance; at which Akefia feigned shock; and the cops politely asked to search his house. He had consented, not wanting to seem suspicious. Besides, he had expected this visit and had stored all his contraband with Mariku. Bakura himself was safely hidden in Mariku's backyard, his backpack stored underneath his bed and his clothes burned. They wouldn't find anything.

And indeed, they did not. The search was fast, and the officers even apologized for searching in the first place. "Just covering all our bases," One of the younger-looking officers had explained to him as they were making their way out. "Most kidnappings are done by family, so after one of his parents, an uncle would be the logical person to look with. Doesn't mean we actually think you did it."

Akefia had agreed, thanking them for their time and returning indoors to call his sister.

Adele couldn't stop herself from sobbing as she spoke to her brother. Akefia couldn't make out most of what his sister said, but from the bits he could understand, he gathered that neither Adele nor her husband had slept that night, Ryou and Amane still hadn't been told the full story, and the police had found nothing to help them find Bakura. Absolutely nothing.

In a way, Akefia was surprised. He had thought that the authorities would be as aggressive with finding Bakura as they would be looking for drugs. But in all honesty, it seemed like they had hardly done any looking at all.

Akefia offered to drive over to be with them, but his sister turned him down, saying she would be too wrapped up with working with the police. He had accepted it, and went to go visit Bakura. Akefia didn't try to talk to him for fear of breaking down. Instead he washed Bakura with soap and water, cleaning the grime away from his body. He fed Bakura and gave him water, leading him to the bathroom once before chaining him back up to the bed. He left then, not a word spoken between the two.

He called his sister's house again that night, and his brother-in-law told him he could come in the morning.

Akefia found himself sitting in his car outside his sister's house, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. He didn't want to deal with it. He wished he could just go back to the shed in Mariku's backyard, hold his Bakura all fucking day.

But he had adult responsibilities to take care of.

His brother-in-law answered the door and invited him in. Taijo's eyes were red from crying and he looked exhausted; Akefia guessed he'd probably only napped since Bakura was reported missing. They went to the kitchen to talk, passing the living room on the way. Akefia peered in, seeing both Ryou and Amane playing quietly with Amane's dolls as they sat on the couch. They looked up as their father and uncle passed the room, but didn't say anything.

Akefia sat down at their kitchen table overlooking their expansive backyard, watching as his brother-in-law sat down across from him, muscles creaking. Akefia's sister was quite a few years older than he was, and her husband was a good number of years older than her. Akefia and Bakura were probably closer in age than he and Taijo were.

"Where's Adele?" Akefia asked quietly, keeping his voice even.

Taijo cleared his throat, stroking his newly formed beard. Akefia guessed that he hadn't shaved in the past couple days either. "In bed. She's just…devastated. All she wants to do is lay in bed and cry."

Akefia nodded. He bit his lip, staring out the window. "How are you holding up?"

"I…" Taijo stopped, closing his eyes. "It's hard. It's extremely hard. This is…every parent's worst nightmare," He opened his eyes, near exact replicas of Bakura's. "Mostly I try to stay strong for my wife and children. I want to believe he's okay, that whoever did this had…I don't know. Good intentions."

He stopped, looking out at the melted snow. "But then the statistics get to me. Most kids who are abducted by strangers are killed. I can't ignore that. And I can't…I can't imagine what happened to him. It's just too painful."

Akefia nodded, avoiding eye contact.

"Adele is normally so positive…" Taijo mused. "Every time something bad comes up, she can spin it around and find something good to come out of it. But now…she won't do anything. It's like she's completely given up on life."

Akefia kept nodding, trying to seem supportive.

His brother-in-law didn't seem to even be paying attention. "I just don't understand why this happened. At first I hoped it was just for ransom, and I'd get him back as soon as I paid someone off. But I haven't…I haven't heard anything. He's just…gone. I don't want to think about the motives that piece of shit who took him had, or what they're doing to him. But I can't think about anything else."

Taijo focused his sight on the ground before suddenly getting to his feet. "Do you want tea? I'll make a pot of tea."

Akefia shifted in his chair, but didn't get up. "Do Ryou and Amane understand what happened?"

"They…" A pause. "They know enough. I feel so terrible for them. Adele is too upset to really deal with them right now, and it's hard for me to even look at Ryou…they look so alike, him and Bakura…" Taijo stopped, ingredients in hand. "They miss their brother. He's always been quiet, but they loved him, and they knew he loved them. They were all planning to go as Batman characters for trick-or-treating tonight, and Bakura was going to be the Joker. I said I'd still take them, but they don't want to go without their brother."

Taijo quickly went to work brewing the tea, and Akefia watched with little interest. "What have you told them about…everything?"

His brother-in-law paused, squeezing his eyes shut. "The basics." Eyes open again, resume tea brewing. "We told them that a bad person has taken their brother away, and we don't know if he's okay or not."

"That's a lot to handle at their age."

"Maybe, but they're not stupid." Taijo shrugged. "They understand that something horrible has happened. I would rather they be upset now rather than be shocked and confused if…if the worst happens."

And that was the breaking point. Just like that, Bakura's father broke down and cried like a baby.

Akefia got to his feet, reaching out to comfort his brother-in-law. Taijo accepted, sobbing into his brother-in-law's shoulder while Akefia shut his eyes and tried not to think.

* * *

The snow crunched underneath Akefia's boots as he tramped across Mariku's backyard, plastic shopping bag in hand. He hadn't seen Mariku's car in his usual parking spot, so he could only guess that Mariku was out. He felt a chill down his spine, and quickly jerked around, scanning the yard for anything, anyone.

He eventually had to turn back. No one was watching him, at least not now. He'd have to ask Mariku about putting up a hedge or something. The neighbors might start to wonder why he was making such frequent visits to what they thought was nothing but Mariku's backyard shed.

The first thing Akefia noticed upon entering the shed was that Bakura's blankets were askew. Akefia cursed under his breath, but didn't speak out loud until the door was closed behind him. "Bakura?"

Bakura seemed to tense up, but didn't respond. Akefia took another step towards the bed. "Kuku?"

Bakura began to shake. "U-Uncle?" He called, his voice unsteady.

Akefia put his bag down on the floor, moving over to the bed.

It was obvious that Mariku had visited Bakura since the last time Akefia had been there. Bakura's neck bore a red mark that had not been there the day before, and seminal fluid was crusted around his opening, staining the sheets. On closer inspection, Akefia saw that Bakura had wet the bed as well. He sighed.

"Okay, buddy, we have a couple options here," He said as he sat down on the bed, near Bakura's head. "I can give you some lunch and give you a bath after you eat, or I can give you a bath now and you can have your lunch afterwards. What's it gonna be?"

Bakura swallowed before answering. "Water."

Akefia dug out a bottle of water from his bag, pressing it to Bakura's lips and tilting upwards. Bakura drank greedily, emptying nearly the entire bottle. Then Akefia unwrapped his lunch, two bacon grilled cheese sandwiches, and fed it to him. Neither of them said anything, but conversation was unnecessary.

Soon the food was gone, and Akefia went to the bathroom, filling the bathtub with warm water. While the tub was filling up, he went back to Bakura and released him from the heavy chains binding him to the bed. Bakura cried in relief as he moved his arms, even as they were handcuffed together behind his back.

Akefia managed to coax him into a standing position and lead him to the bathroom. He sat Bakura on the toilet while he tested the water, deeming it fine and turning the water flow off.

He waited as Bakura did his business, then picking him up and putting him in the tub.

Bakura squeaked as he was submerged in the warm water, but almost instantly relaxed. Akefia got to his feet, leaving Bakura alone in the steamy bathroom.

He swapped the current sheets with a new set he had just bought, balling up the dirty sheets and tossing them in the corner. He'd deal with them later. He wiped down Bakura's restraints with an anti-bacterial wipe, trying not to think of all the diseases that could be living on the metal. The absolute last thing Bakura needed was an injury or infection.

Akefia finally returned to Bakura, bearing a washcloth and a bar of soap. He meticulously scrubbed the boy clean, paying special attention to his privates. Bakura squirmed, uncomfortable, but didn't object to Akefia's ministrations.

Soon the water began to turn cold, and Akefia lifted his nephew out of the tub, wrapping him in a fluffy blue towel. Bakura groaned as Akefia chained him back up, his joints sore from being in the same position for two days straight.

The tub was drained, refilled, and the sheets left to soak in warm, soapy water. Akefia returned to the bed, stripping off his clothes and sliding his feet under the blankets, snuggling up next to Bakura.

"Talk to me, Kuku," Akefia demanded as he slid an arm under his nephew's waist. Bakura swallowed loudly.

"Please let me go home," He asked in a soft, pleading voice. Akefia sighed.

"You know I can't do that."

Bakura shifted. "Why not? I'll lie. I'll tell everybody I didn't know who you are. Please. Please let me go."

"No."

Bakura bit back a sob, and Akefia's grip on him tightened. "W-why not? Wh-wh-why are you keeping me here? Why are you do-doing this to me?"

Akefia sighed, kissing the boy's temple before laying down to cuddle with him. "You know how you love your brother and sister?"

Bakura sniffed, letting out a quiet "Yes."

"You know how your parents love each other?"

"Isn't it the same thing?"

Akefia chuckled. "No. Not at all. Bakura, when mommies and daddies love each other, they want to touch each other. Like this," He demonstrated by running his hand over Bakura's crotch. Bakura squeaked, and Akefia withdrew his hand. "You're still too young for it to really feel good, but it'll feel very good once you're old enough."

Bakura sniffed.

"Also, when people love each other, they want to have sex. That's what Mariku was doing with you earlier."

Bakura was struggling. "Putting his penis in my-"

"Yes. Only girls have a second hole that's designed for it. That's how your mom and dad made you and your siblings, by the way. It's actually pretty complicated, I'll explain it when you're older."

Bakura still seemed confused. "But…but I'm a boy. And both you and Mariku are boys."

Akefia nodded, then remembered Bakura was blindfolded and couldn't see. He kissed the boy on the forehead. "Yes. And that happens too. Boys can have sex with other boys, and girls can have sex with other girls. It's a bit more complicated, but it can work."

"It hurts."

"I know." Akefia sighed, nuzzling Bakura's neck. "Mariku should have really been stretching you out, and using stuff to make you all slippery so it doesn't hurt as much. I'll talk to him about that…"

"No!" Bakura jerked suddenly. "No, please. No more…sex. Or whatever it is. It hurts, Uncle, it hurts so much!"

Akefia frowned, watching Bakura panic. He was quick to shush Bakura, but it did little to quiet him. He rolled over, laying down flat on top of Bakura's tiny body.

Bakura stayed quiet for a long moment. "Wh…why are you doing this to me?"

Akefia kissed him, on the lips this time. "Because I love you like your daddy loves your mommy. I want to touch you. You're so beautiful…" And he kissed him harder, faster. "You're so beautiful, Bakura. I want to touch you, I want to hold you. I want…I want to…"

He kissed down Bakura's flat stomach, spreading his legs apart. Bakura squirmed, trying to voice his objections, but was ignored. Akefia took Bakura's penis in his mouth, sucking on it hungrily. Bakura gasped, twitching. Akefia removed his mouth from Bakura's pale member, pulling Bakura's legs up slightly in order to get to his prize.

"Please, not there!" Bakura cried out. Akefia stopped in his tracks, raising his head.

"Why not, Bakura?"

Bakura sniffed, shaking. "It-it's so dirty…"

"Bakura, _nothing _about you is dirty. I better not hear you refer to yourself like that _ever _again, do you hear me?"

Bakura nodded frantically. Akefia sighed, lowering himself back down. "You're beautiful. Even this part of you is beautiful…"

He extended his tongue, running the tip around Bakura's tiny entrance. Bakura gasped and cried louder, but Akefia wasn't even paying attention. He continued to lick Bakura hungrily, hoping that his saliva would be a good enough lubricant. Of course, Mariku had had sex with Bakura at least twice with absolutely no lube or preparation. And Akefia would be far, far more gentle than Mariku.

"Don't worry," Akefia whispered as he dragged himself up to Bakura's level, kissing him on the cheek. He slid his arms under Bakura's knees, pushing his entire body up the mattress. "I'm going to go easy on you. I love you so much, Bakura…"

He kissed Bakura's cheek, and Bakura whimpered. Then Akefia pushed himself inside and became oblivious to his nephew's reactions as his own pleasure enveloped him.

* * *

Time passed. The stolen van was found, but it gave no leads. More snow fell, sticking around this time. Ryou and Amane made a new snowman in their front yard, without the help of their big brother. Akefia spent a Bakura-less Christmas at his sister's house, her remaining children unnaturally quiet.

Eventually, the snow melted. Spring arrived. Bakura's family still had not found him, and was beginning to abandon all hope of ever doing so. His siblings recovered, their playful personalities returning with only small delays in their smiles in the moments they remembered their brother.

Bakura's parents healed. Slowly. Taijo eventually went back to work, and sent his wife to a grief counselor. Time passed.

Bakura continued to sit in the shed. Mariku finally gave Akefia permission to remove his blindfold after nearly three weeks, and Akefia watched as Bakura's pupils dilated almost painfully after removing the cloth. He had given the boy a shower after that, noticing the grungy odor wafting from Bakura and the knotted, disheveled state of his hair. Bakura had been actually frightened of the falling water, and Akefia (who had decided to come in the shower with him) had been latched onto, Bakura's handcuffed hands gripping his leg.

Akefia wanted to say that he was happy. Having Bakura did make him happy, but the minute he left the confines of the shed, his satisfaction disappears and was replaced with a rock in his gut.

He was quick to pin his unhappiness on Mariku. Though Akefia didn't like Mariku having sex with his nephew on a regular basis, he never once spoke out against it. But as Bakura's time in the shed went by, it became increasingly obvious that Mariku was abusing the boy.

Akefia would often find Bakura tied up in uncomfortable positions he knew he had not left him in. Bakura usually had a wide range of bruises adorning his body, ranging in color from light yellow to dark purple. Cuts would randomly appear in strategic places on his body.

Mariku finally got so lazy he'd leave his black duffel bag filled with BDSM gear in the shed, usually stowing it under Bakura's bed with the assumption that Akefia wouldn't find it there.

Akefia guessed that Mariku was also sort of an idiot.

The first time he had decided to investigate the bag's contents, Bakura whimpered and pleaded with Akefia not to use any of it on him. Akefia had been surprised at first, then concerned.

He had held up every instrument to Bakura, inquiring whether Mariku had used it on him or not. Bakura nodded yes to nearly every one of them, sometimes giving his uncle an estimate of how much pain one would inflict.

Akefia was disgusted. He himself had lusted after Bakura and done things to him that he shouldn't have even known about at his age…but the fact still remained. Bakura was seven. Seven years old. Too young to be beaten for the sexual satisfaction of a sadist.

Bakura pleaded with Akefia not to confront Mariku about the issue, fearing punishment. Akefia had reluctantly agreed, slightly relieved to not have to deal with Mariku berating Akefia for standing up to him.

But he knew he'd have to confront Mariku sooner or later.

Akefia found nothing wrong when he initially entered the shed that day. Bakura was chained to the bed, and Akefia greeted him happily.

Bakura's weakened reply came back to his ears, and Akefia frowned. He quickly made his way over to Bakura's side, gasping slightly when he caught sight of Bakura's chest.

"Oh shit, Bakura…" He mumbled, running his fingers over reddened skin around Bakura's nipples. Bakura squealed and twisted away. Akefia removed his hand. "What did he do to you this time?"

Bakura stared at the wall. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"You are _not _fine," Akefia said, jerking Bakura's chin to look him in the eye. "You're going to tell me what he did, Bakura. Now."

Bakura blinked, but no tears came to his eyes. He had certainly done his fair share of crying after he first arrived, but that had gradually tapered off. He barely cried at all anymore.

Akefia sighed, picking up Bakura's handcuffs and clamping them around his wrists before unlocking his heavy chains. Bakura brought his arms down, rubbing at his chaffed wrists. He struggled to sit up, barely managing it. Akefia handed Bakura a Burger King bag and sat down. "Eat. And tell me what the fuck is going on."

Bakura tore into the bag, extracting the cheeseburger and taking a bite. Akefia waited patiently as Bakura devoured half the burger. It was another worry that Akefia couldn't bring himself to confront Mariku about, but he knew Bakura was not getting enough food. The boy had gotten noticeably skinnier since the beginning of his imprisonment, and Akefia was becoming legitimately concerned. He suspected Mariku either wasn't feeding Bakura at all or was feeding him extremely small amounts of food. He wasn't entirely sure what would be better.

"He got this new machine," Bakura finally said, swallowing part of his burger. "It kinda looks like a cassette tape player, only it has a bunch of wires with these suction cup things coming out of it. He stuck them on me-" Bakura motioned around his torso. "-and kept pressing buttons to make it burn and feel all jumpy."

Akefia stared, slack-jawed. Bakura continued to eat his burger, shifting around to point to an angry red spot immediately above his hip. "He had this black thing that looked like a gun, too. He touched me with it here and I couldn't move for a bit."

"I see…" Akefia groaned, pushing his hand through his hair. "Is that everything he did to you? Everything new, at least?"

Bakura nodded.

Akefia got to his feet, bending over to kiss Bakura on the forehead. "Alright, my dove. He's not going to use those on you anymore, trust me."

"But-"

"No buts. I'll make sure he won't. And you will not get in trouble. You made a good decision in telling me. I'm proud of you."

Bakura nodded, looking down at his blankets. The sound of his uncle's feet dragging across the floor made his chin jerk up again. "Uncle! Aren't you going to…"

Akefia turned around as Bakura trailed off, his outstretched wrists falling back to the covers. He paused for a minute, thinking. "No. I'm not putting you back in the big chains tonight."

Bakura whimpered. "B-but won't Mariku be-"

"Mad? No, he won't. I'll make sure of it. You've behaved so well the past few months. You deserve this." He turned back around, but paused at the door. "Eat the rest of your food. I'll be back to visit you soon, Kuku."

He unlocked the door, and Bakura immediately got quiet. It was a rule that Bakura wasn't allowed to talk when the door was open.

Akefia fumed during the short walk from Bakura's shed to Mariku's back door. Electrodes. Mariku had been electrocuting his nephew for his own sick pleasure. Akefia was past disgusted, past furious. He was simply unable to comprehend the evil behind it.

Mariku answered fairly quickly to Akefia's rapping. He held a beer bottle in one hand and focused his dark purple eyes on Akefia, taking a swig of beer before bothering to greet him. "'Sup, partner."

Akefia scoffed and pushed past him, into the house. Mariku shut the door behind him, turning around to face his friend.

Akefia curled his hands into fists, fighting the urge to smash Mariku's damn beer bottle across his fucking face.

"You just been visiting the brat?" Mariku asked, swaying slightly. Akefia forced air out through his teeth.

"Yes I was, actually. Would you care to explain why you were using electrodes to torture my nephew?"

All the blood drained out of Mariku's face, quickly replaced with an expression of fury.

"He told you! I can't believe it, that little shit!" Mariku slammed the bottle down, causing it to spill sideways. "I'll kill him! I'll kill that little bitch!"

"You won't touch him!" Akefia threw himself in between Mariku in the door, blocking one of Mariku's fists with his own. "I made him tell me, because he's obviously injured!" Mariku stopped his assault, drawing back. Akefia lowered his arms. "Mariku, do you think I'm oblivious? Do you think I'm not going to notice if you treat him like your BDSM slave or something? I'm not stupid!"

"I've been careful," was Mariku's quiet but angry reply. "I have my limits with him. I haven't put him in any danger."

"Bullshit, Mariku!" Akefia began to pace the kitchen. "You shocked him with a stun gun and attached electrodes to his chests! That alone could have killed him! Not to mention, I've seen your little toy box. Most of that stuff isn't really safe for two adults, and you're using it on a significantly smaller and weaker child. Don't you think that makes it dangerous?!"

"I think you're overreacting here."

"Like hell I'm overreacting!"

He stopped, leaning against the counter and pushing his hand through his white hair.

"Mariku," He said softly, getting his partner's attention. "I brought Bakura here because I love him. If I feel like he is in danger living here with you…"

"You will not." Mariku said matter-of-factly. He strode closer, staring at Akefia down the bridge of his nose. "You will not take him away. You will not send him back. You will not call the police."

"You can't stop me." Akefia drew himself to his full height. "If my nephew's life is threatened, I will have him moved, one way or another."

Mariku stepped forward, eyes flashing dangerously, and Akefia's blood ran cold. He backed up autonomously, his lower back hitting the edge of the counter. Mariku's face was unchanging. "Do you want to know what I'll do to Bakura if you try any of that?" He threatened. "I'll take him away from you. You won't ever see him again. And then you would never be able to object to anything I do to him. He'd be mine."

He leaned in close enough for Akefia to smell the beer on his breath. "Don't forget what I'm capable of doing. I will hurt him. I will kill him, if I think it's necessary. And I will not feel sorry about it. You listen to me now."

And Mariku drew away, a smile playing at his lips. Akefia was shaking too badly to respond. Mariku turned around, striding across the living room. "I assume you can show yourself out, Akefia," He called carelessly over his shoulder. "You remember where the door is."

Akefia stood there, slack-jawed, for a good minute before putting himself back together and charging out the door, back to his own home.

* * *

Akefia watched silently as Bakura colored in another page in his coloring book. He bent forward almost protectively over the book, nose wrinkled in concentration as he shaded the picture with a bright red crayon. Akefia smiled to himself. Bakura was so cute.

He had been hesitant about buying the kid the coloring book, as Bakura had never been a big fan of them, plus he was getting kind of old for them anyway. But Bakura had pounced on the coloring book and the pack of crayons Akefia brought in right away. Akefia was guessing that Bakura was holding onto anything that seemed familiar to him. Normally, he supposed he should have discouraged this and forced the boy to get used to new things. But he decided to indulge Bakura for the time being.

Bakura was pretty much free from the heavy chains that bound him to the bed. The chains themselves had been dismantled and stored underneath his bed, next to Mariku's bag of 'toys.' (Not Bakura's recovered backpack though, as that was now stored at the back of a closet in Akefia's home.) Now he lived with the handcuffs on whenever he was alone in the room and without supervision, but his hands were almost always cuffed at the front of his body to allow for use of his hands. Akefia even took those off while he was visiting the boy, allowing him to have complete freedom. As much freedom as he could be allowed locked in the shed, anyway.

And Bakura finally had clothing. Akefia had bought Bakura a whole new wardrobe from the Goodwill, and Bakura had been overjoyed to wear actual clothes again. He and Mariku had bought him more furniture, so Bakura now had a table, two chairs, and a bookshelf. Mariku even brought in a television, and Bakura left it on constantly.

Even with the new television, Akefia knew Bakura needed more stimuli. He had bought Bakura a number of books, some familiar titles Bakura would recognize, and some Akefia got because he felt that Bakura would enjoy it or purely because they looked challenging and Akefia figured that Bakura was at the stage where he needed to read some challenging material.

He also bought Bakura some notebooks and pencils, the coloring book, and even found a stuffed Mew doll at some second-hand store. He bought it, figuring he could give it to Amane if Bakura didn't want it, but Bakura had latched onto it. Which Akefia thought was strange. Bakura had never been an affectionate child, so it was unlike him to get attached to a doll.

Bakura kept the doll near him at all times. He hugged it whenever he was asleep or watching TV and kept it in his lap whenever he sat at the table. Akefia had even caught him talking to the doll, which made Akefia more than a little jealous. Bakura barely spoke to him anymore.

The wooden chair squeaked as Bakura leaned back, looking satisfied with his work. The doll shifted in Bakura's lap, and his arms instantly came around it. Akefia leaned over, causing Bakura to jump in surprise.

"You done? Let me see."

Bakura gave him a hollow look before nudging the paper forward an inch or so. Akefia reached over and turned the book around, sliding it towards him.

He didn't recognize the picture Bakura had been coloring in; he guessed that it was probably from some Disney movie he hadn't seen. He hadn't really looked at the cover when he bought the coloring book, just picked up the first book that wasn't pink and bore the 'ages 5-9' sticker on the front. Bakura had colored the people in the picture different shades of blue, giving each jet-black hair. He had apparently decided to ignore the background, coloring the rest of the picture red and drawing distorted eyes and mouths around the characters. Akefia found it a little unnerving.

"Looking good, buddy." He placed the book back down on the table, handing it back to Bakura. Bakura's arms just curled tighter around his doll, staring at the floor. Akefia frowned.

"Hey, buddy." He got to his feet, placing his hands on Bakura's shoulders. Bakura's just looked away. "Don't be like that. Come on, let's snuggle."

Bakura stayed still for a moment before sighing, standing up from his chair. Akefia smiled, backing towards the bed and sitting down. Then, Bakura did a peculiar thing. He placed his Mew doll on his chair as if it were sitting, positioning the chair to face directly away from the bed. Only then did he turn around, walking to the bed and climbing in.

Akefia's arms went around Bakura the second they were covered by the blankets, laying a kiss on his face. Bakura remained motionless, staring at a fixed point in the ceiling.

The two were silent for a long while, Akefia cuddled against Bakura lovingly. He had begun to think that Bakura had fallen asleep when Bakura opened his mouth. "Uncle Akefia?"

Akefia raised his head, brushing Bakura's white hair away from his face. "Yes, kitten?"

Bakura blinked rapidly, avoiding eye contact as Akefia pulled him in. He lied there for a significant amount of time, a battle being fought behind his strange amber-tinted eyes.

"Am I ever going to be allowed to go home?"

Akefia didn't answer right away. Instead, he pressed his lips to Bakura's forehead, pulling him in tighter as he rested his chin on Bakura's thick head of hair.

Inside, he fought his own battle. He fought his voices. The voices telling him to let Bakura go, for the good of his nephew. The voices telling him that he would go to jail for putting Bakura in danger like this. So many voices. And he couldn't listen to the all at once.

"You won't be here much longer. I promise you, Bakura. I will take you away from here."

Bakura didn't cry. He just stared blankly up at the ceiling.

Akefia kissed him. "I will make sure he won't hurt you again, Bakura. I won't let him hurt you again. I love you, Bakura. I will protect you."

Akefia kissed him again, and again and again. He moved on top of Bakura, groaning as he slowly grinded on the boy through their clothes. His hands found the buttons on Bakura's shirt, and it was all he could do to keep from ripping the shirt right off his body.

Later, Akefia was spent and lay tiredly in bed, breathing heavily and feeling satisfied. Bakura was still staring at the same spot in the ceiling. His eyes hadn't moved from that spot once.

* * *

**I'm finally done with this...this thing fought being written every inch of the way. I had to force myself most of the time. This has been happening a lot lately, what's going on?**

**Please keep in mind that Bakura still has not gone through all the horrifying things that shapes his character. He is going to be OOC because he doesn't have that personality in him yet. I don't think it's a huge deal, since this oneshot was about Akefia.**

**Aaand I'm tired. Really tired. I'm going to sleep. Please review. Even if you don't normally review my stuff, I really really appreciate it.**

**Going to bed now.**


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